GB2227214A

GB2227214A - Packing bag for a parachute

Info

Publication number: GB2227214A
Application number: GB9000642A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hubert Nohren; Werner Moritzen; Gerhard Siebrand; Helmut Knofe
Original assignee: Autoflug GmbH
Current assignee: Autoflug GmbH
Priority date: 1989-01-11
Filing date: 1990-01-11
Publication date: 1990-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 2010-01-11
Also published as: DE3900621A1; US5090641A; IL93014A; GB2227214B; IL93014A0; GB9000642D0; DE3900621C2

Abstract

A packing bag (10) for a parachute adapted to set down a rapidly rotating load, said parachute having a parachute canopy, shroud lines and a carrying harness attached thereto for the load, comprises a plurality of substantially flat rotationally symmetrical fabric sections (11, 12, 13, 25) arranged one above the other and stitched together at their outer edges by means of a continuous seam 14, at least one outer fabric section and one inner fabric section each having a concentric central opening (17, 18, 26, 29). As shown, chambers (15, 16) respectively accommodate the parachute with its shroud lines and the carrying harness. An activating cord (23) is accommodated in a chamber (24) and is attached by a belt loop (27). An extension cord (30) has strips (31) for attaching to frangible securing means for locating the harness. Chambers (16, 24) may include friction-increasing linings (32, Fig. 5, not shown). The bag may be connected to a component (19, Figs. 2, 3, not shown) of a container. <IMAGE>

Description

:2 2:217::;:-,:L _:1 1 55-033.507 PACKING BAG FOR A PARACHUTE This

invention relates to a packing bag for a parachute adapted to set down a load, such a parachute having a parachute canopy, shroud lines and a carrying harness for the load to be attached thereto.

Conventional packing bags for parachutes have a fabric section which encloses the parachute canopy together with shroud lines and carrying harness like a pocket, the pocket-like packing bag being closed, after the parachute has been packed therein, by means of one or more flaps or a similar closure. In addition, auxiliary means such as loops etc are provided for fixing the position of the parachute particularly with respect to the predetermined course of movement when the parachute is deployed from the packing bag. It is necessary to pull the carrying harness and any activating cord provided out of the otherwise closed packing bag, these parts generally being connected to the packing bag by means of additional frangible securing means in order to increase the resistance to deployment.

A known packing bag has the disadvantage that it is comparatively expensive to manufacture since complicated finishing of the packing bag is required especially in the region of the flap closure; furthermore, this known packing bag requires a comparatively long packing operation for the parachute since on the one hand the parachute, carrying harness and/or activating cord have to be fixed in position in the packing bag and on the other hand, after the 1 1 2 parachute has been packed, the packing bag still has to be closed by means of the flaps or other closure means. Finally, the known packing bag is hardly suitable for a parachute for setting down a rapidly rotating load, since a flap closure is less suitable for withstanding rotational stress during the setting down operation, or else will have to be specially constructed for this purpose.

An object of the invention is therefore to improve a packing bag of the general type described hereinbefore. According to the invention, there is provided a packing bag for a parachute intended for setting down a load, said parachute having a parachute canopy, shroud line and a carrying harness attached thereto for the load, said bag comprising at least two substantially flat fabric sections arranged one above the other and connected at their outer edges by means of an encircling seam, one fabric section having a central opening.

The preferred embodiments start from the basic concept that at least two substantially flat fabric sections are provided, arranged one above the other and joined at their outer edges by means of a continuous seam, of which one fabric section has a central opening. This has the major advantage that there is no need for the usual flaps or other closure means. Thus, the parachute with its shroud lines need only be pushed through the central opening in the fabric section into the interior of the chamber formed by the fabric sections and adapted to receive the parachute; the support harness can also be looped in the chamber formed by the fabric sections and passed outwards with its attachment through the central opening. Thus the packing time for the parachute is reduced to a remarkable degree because there is no need to close the packing bag. A further advantage is the simplicity of manufacture of the 1 1 3 packing bag, in which the fabric sections required to form the packing bag are placed one above the other and joined together "from the wrong side", ie. on the inside, with a single continuous seam, after which the packing bag according to the invention is formed by turning the fabric sections inside out, so that the joining seam finishes up on the inside of the packing bag.

The packing bag of the preferred embodiments is advantageously suitable for packing parachutes which are intended to set down a rapidly rotating load. For this purpose it is proposed that in one preferred embodiment the fabric sections are rotationally symmetrical with respect to a central axis located perpendicularly thereon and are stitched together at their periphery by means of a continuous seam. The particular advantage obtained is that, as a result of the rotary movement of the packing bag which initially occurs, the parachute together with the support harness is pressed outwards against the fabric sections, so as to produce a correspondingly higher deployment resistance; consequently, the additional measures to increase the deployment resistance which are required with known packing bags are no longernecessary. There is also the advantage that the rotary movement of the packing bag produces a defined position for the parachute as well as the carrying harness at the start of the movement of deployment, whilst additionally there is no need for the opening of any closure with the possible risk of problems with the deployment operations, since the parachute as well as the carrying harness are pulled out of the chamber formed only through the central opening in the fabric section.

According to one embodiment of the invention, two chambers are provided for receiving the parachute on the 1 4 one hand and the carrying harness on the other hand, these chambers being formed by three fabric sections arranged one above the other and stitched together. In this embodiment an outer and an inner fabric section each have a central opening, so that the parachute can be placed in the inner chamber and the carrying harness in the outer chamber through these central openings and deployed again by the same route.

Where an additional activating cord is to be accommodated in the packing bag, according to another embodiment of the invention, a third chamber in which the activating cord can be stowed, can be formed simply be adding a fourth fabric section and stitching all four fabric sections together.

The chambers for receiving the parachute, the carrying harness or an activating cord may be made with different dimensions, according to the space required, if the fabric sections which form the chamber in question are conical in shape. This conical shape can be achieved by means of tucks provided in the substantially flat fabric sections or by cutting up the flat section, overlapping the parts in question and stitching again. Another possibility is to make the fabric section conical in shape by suitable cutting of the fabric blank.

According to additional embodiments of the invention, the deployment resistance of the carrying harness and/or activating cord can be increased by providing, on the inside of the fabric sections which form the chambers in question, a lining of a friction-increasing material which is expediently flexible to impart sufficient movement to the packing bag when the parachute is packed therein and deployed f therefrom; another possibility is to insert suitably preformed parts made of friction-increasing and preferably flexible material in the chambers formed by stitching the sections.

If an activating cord is attached to the packing bag, the activating cord may be attached to one of the inner fabric sections; alternatively, a loop may be stitched to one of the inner fabric sections, with the end of the activating cord passing through said loop.

Although the fabric section which separates the chamber for receiving the activating cord from the chamber for receiving the parachute need not have an opening, according to one embodiment of the invention an opening may be provided herein, through which an extension cord starting from the activating cord is passed, to which strips are connected which are adapted for the provision of frangible securing means by which the carrying harness is fixed in position in the outer chamber assigned thereto. When the packing bag is stretched the frangible means are broken and both the activating cord and the carrying harness are released for deployment.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the individual fabric sections are rotationally symetrical, ie. circular in construction and are stitched together around their outer circumference in the manner described, so as to produce a circular packing bag in which the central openings provided are arranged concentrically. When a rapidly rotating load is to be set down, this has the advantage that the activating cord, parachute together with stroud lines and carrying harness are uniformally pressed outwardly against the seams, which are designed to absorb such stresses.

6 Thus at least in the preferred embodiments the manufacture of the pack is simplified and the time taken to pack the parachute is reduced.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 shows a packing bag with two fabric sections in diagrammatic view, Figure 2 shows a packing bag with three fabric sections, in diagrammatic view, Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but of a different embodiment, Figure 4 shows an embodiment by way of example of packing bag with four fabric sections, diagrammatically shown, Figure 5 shows the embodiment of Figure 4 in a modified form.

The packing bag shown in Figure 1 consists of two, fabric sections 11, 12 which are continuously stitched together at their outer edges by a single seam 14 on the inside, the configuration shown in Figure 1 being produced by stitching the fabric sections together simultaneously inside out, ie: on the so- called wrong side, then turning then the right way out to achieve the form shown. The rotationally symmetrical fabric section 11 has a concentric central opening 17. This arrangement produces a chamber 15 in which is placed a parachute (not shown) with its shroud lines and a T 4 7 carrying harness (not shown). The parachute and carrying harness are both packed in through the central opening 17 and deployed through it.

Figure 2 shows a packing bag 10 with two externally arranged fabric sections 11. 12 and a fabric section 13 locating between them; the rotationally symmetrically formed sections 11, 12, 13 are stitched together along their outer edges by means of a continuous single seam 14 on the inside thereof, as described for the embodiment of Figure 1.

The arrangement of the fabric sections 11, 12, 13 produces two chambers 15, 16 whilst in the packed state of the packing bag 10, a parachute, which is not shown in detail, together with its stroud lines is folded in the chamber 15 whilst a carrying harness, not shown in detail, for attaching the parachute to the load which is to be set down is looped into the chamber 16. The rotationally symmetrical fabric sections 11 and 13 each have a concentrically arranged central opening 17 and 18, respectively, through which the parachute and carrying harness are both packed and also deployed.

In the embodiments shown in Figures 2 and 3, the packing bag 10 is connected to a fixed component 19 which may for example be part of a container (not shown) which receives the packing bag as well as the load to be set down, or may simply be connected to such a container, preferably the base thereof. The detachment of the container part or the component 19 connected thereto the causes activation of the parachute, since the component 19 lags behind the load and, as a result of the stretching of the packing bag 10, causes deployment of the parachute from the packing bag 10. In the embodiments shown, the component 4 1 8 19 is secured to the fabric section 12 by the enclosing the component 19 in another fabric section 20, which is connected to the fabric section 12 with an encircling seam 21 and encloses and secures the component 19 in atentral position therein. In the embodiments shown connecting means 22 are illustrated between the component 19 and a container (not shown).

As can be seen from Figure 3, by contrast to Fig. 2, the chambers 15, 16, may also be of different configuration and size, whilst in particular the volume of the chamber adapted to receive the parachute is enlarged. For this purpose, the fabric section 12 is produced in a conical shape; it is, however, also possible to achieve a corresponding configuration of the fabric section either by means of tucks or be cutting open the section, then overlapping it and restitching.

Figure 4 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the packing bag 10 has means for connection of an activating cord 23, by means of which the parachute is made to open. For this purpose, the packing bag has another chamber 24 formed between an additional inner fabric section 25 and the outer fabric section 12 and into which the activating cord 23 is looped in the packed state. The activating cord 23 is passed outwards through an opening 26 provided in the outer fabric section 12. For attaching the activating cord 23 a belt loop 27 of textile material is provided, which is connected to the inner fabric section 25 by seams 28, so that the fabric of the packing bag is attached to the activating cord 23.

An opening 29 formed in the fabric section 25 enables an extension cord 30 for the activating cord 23 to be passed through, the end of said extension cord having 4 C 9 suitable strips 33. attached thereto, which in turn serve as an attachment for frangible securing means, by which the carrying harness is fixed in position in the chamber 16. When the parts are stretched relative to one another the carrying harness and activating cords are accordingly deployed from the packing bag 10.

Finally, Figure 5 illustrates, with reference to the embodiment shown in Figure 4, that special friction-increasing measures can also be taken in order to increase the deployment resistance which is already present in embodiments according to the invention when setting down a rapidly rotating load. As shown in Figure 5, linings 32 of a friction-increasing, flexible material are provided both in the region of the chamber 16 with the carrying harness looped therein and also in the region the chamber 24 for the activating cord 23 or loop 27 on the inside of the fabric sections 11, 12. According to a preferred embodiment, it is also alternatively possible to provide a preformed component of suitable material which has the same effect as the linings 32 shown in Figure 5.

Modifications both to the features of the embodiments, as described broadly in the introduction to this specification, may be made. Furthermore, modifications may be made to the features specified as constituting the invention for which protection is sought, whilst still retaining at least some of the advantageous results referred to above. The novel features disclosed herein, explicitly or implicitly, may be used individually and in any desired combination.

4. 1 ( 1 Cla s 1 A packing bag for a parachute intended for setting down a load, said parachute having a parachute-canopy, shroud lines and a carrying harness attached thereto for the load, said bag comprising at least two substantially flat fabric sections arranged one above the other and connected at their outer edges by means of an encircling seam, one fabric section having a central opening.

2. A packing bag as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of substantially flat fabric sections arranged one above the other and connected at their outer edges by means of an encircling seam, at least one outer and inner fabric section having a central opening.

3. A packing bag as claimed in claim 2, comprising three fabric sections arranged one above the other, by means of which two chambers 15, 16 are formed for accommodating the parachute with shroud lines, and the carrying harness, respectively.

4. A packing bag as claimed in claim 2 four fabric sections arranged one above the other, by means of which three chambers are formed for accommodating the parachute together with shroud lines, the carrying harness, and an activating line, respectively.

5. A packing bag as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the central openings in the fabric sections associated with the parachute and the carrying harness are of the same dimensions.

6. A packing bag as claimed in any preceding claim wherein one or more of the flat fabric sections have tucks in order to produce a conical shape.

4. # C1 11 is 7. A packing bag as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein one or more of the fabric sections are cut and preshaped in a conical configuration.

8. A packing bag as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the inside of a fabric section or of a plurality of fabric sections is or are provided with a lining of friction increasing material.

9. A packing bag as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein corresponding preformed sections of a friction increasing, flexible material are inserted in the chambers of the packing bag.

10. A packing bag as claimed in any preceding claim the support harness for the load is fixed in position to the fabric section which holds it via frangible securing means.

11. A packing bag as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein an activating cord is connected via seams to an inner fabric section which forms a chamber for enclosing it in the packing bag.

12. A packing bag as claimed in claim 11, wherein stitched to said inner fabric section, there is a loop which can be inserted in the chamber together with the activating cord for the attachment of the activating cord.

13. A packing bag as claimed in claim 10 or 12, wherein said inner fabric section has an opening for the passage of.a cord extension to the carrying harness, with strips attached thereto for mounting frangible securing means provided for fixing the position of the carrying harness.

t 12 14. A packing bag as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein fabric blanks to constitute the fabric section are rotationally symetrical and are stitched together at 5 their periphery by means of a continuous seam.

15. A packing bag as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the seam for attaching the fabric sections is disposed on the inside of the packing bag, facing the 10 chambers.

16. A packing bag for a parachute, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1; or to Fig. 2; or to Fig. 3; or to Fig. 4, or to Fig. 5; of the is accompanying drawings.

17. A packing bag as claimed in any preceding claim including therein a parachute for setting down a rapidly rotating load.

Published 1990 atThe Patent Office, State HOuse,66171 Holborn, London WC1R 4TP. Further copies maybe obtained from The Patentmce. Sees Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington. Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent. Con. 1187